The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of the ornamental flowering shrub Lagerstroemia indica×Lagerstroemia fauriei, commonly known as crapemyrtle, and hereafter referred to by the varietal denomination ‘Gamad I’.
The new crapemyrtle originated from open-pollinated seed of ‘Pocomoke’ (unpatented) a compact, rose-pink flowered introduction in 1999 from the United States National Arboretum (USDA). The inventor was granted permission by Dr. Margaret Pooler, Research Geneticist at USDA, to utilize the germplasm to develop new dwarf cultivars. ‘Gamad I’ was the only true red-flowered seedling from 2000 seedlings of ‘Pocomoke’ and was selected by the inventor in August, 2002 at the Center for Applied Nursery Research, Dearing, Ga.